


Apples

by reaperlight



Series: Kingdom Come 'Verse [1]
Category: Death Note, Death Note & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Asexual Character, Attempted Seduction, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Sexual Situations, Boredom, Bratting, Clueless Light, Companionship in Exchange For Intimacy, Crack, Death Note Kink Meme, Emotionally Constipated Light, Feathers & Featherplay, Fluff and Angst, Graphic Description, Grey-Asexual Light, Humor, Immortals, Interspecies Romance, Kink Meme, Light BDSM, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mildly Dubious Consent, Mostly the same as canon, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Parody, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Punishment, Purple Prose, Resolved Sexual Tension, Ryuk has a better moral compass than Light does, Ryuk is a bastard but not a complete bastard, Ryuk writes a romance novel, Serial Killers, Shinigami, Snowed In, Tattoos, Teasing, Teenagers, Tickle Fights, Tumblr Prompt, Villains, WTF Fanfiction Challenge, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000, bad apple metaphors, except a few background characters are still alive, improbable scenarios, that really shouldn't be surprising
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-14
Updated: 2015-01-14
Packaged: 2018-03-07 10:34:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3171622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reaperlight/pseuds/reaperlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snowed in and bored (further) out of his mind Light does the unthinkable. One way or another Ryuk will have his pound of flesh.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Apples

Light heaved a heavy sigh as he stared at handwritten page in front of him.

He was on top of his homework.

He was on top of the judgments.

And now he was on top of the situation with L.

In short, Light was bored… _again._

The righteous killer wasn’t quite sure how he managed to become this bored even while every police agency in the world was searching for him and the greatest detective in the world was shadowing his every move but he managed it anyway. He was just feeling so under-stimulated—it was like the dreary days before the Death Note all over again. In the beginning it had all seemed so thrilling—a new challenge in which he threw down the gauntlet against the entire world as it was—but now? Now he was just going through the motions—it was just another day of taking out the trash.

The bored genius turned to gaze wistfully out his window to where the snow still fell. The balcony just outside his window was covered in an absurd amount of the white, powdery stuff and it kept on falling. There was even discussion of that farce of his school being closed for the day. Perhaps that was part of it—apparently the psychological impact of being stuck indoors and going stir crazy could affect even aspiring Gods. Light sighed again as he put his homework away and secured his Death Note in it's booby trapped drawer. 

_Who would have thought that something like this would ever become so boring?_ The teen thought as he glanced over at his bed where he noticed Ryuk looked kind of bored too. The Shinigami lay sprawled on top of his blue comforter, staring into space, and absently munching his way through a basket of apples that Light had purchased the day before. Light felt a flash of annoyance that Ryuk had nearly eaten all of them again. In retrospect he should’ve been surprised that Ryuk paced himself so that they lasted even _this_ long. The killer's right eye twitched when he noticed how his “roommate” was, once again, getting apple crumbs on his bed but found he didn’t even have the motivation to scold him for it. Light yawned and stretched, cracking his back, as he got up out of his desk chair but his eyes never left the lounging Shinigami. 

_Well there’s an idea...._

Maybe Ryuk would like to play video games or something again… (he’d just have to be sure to beat him this time!) 

“Ryuk…”

The Shinigami didn’t seem to hear him as he continued on with his methodical masticating whilst staring off into space. 

_No doubt caught up in one of his weird apple fantasies,_ the teen thought with a roll of his eyes. 

“Hey, _Ryuk!”_ Light called but the Shinigami apparently did not hear him seeing as he was completely lost in the moment, savoring pure apple bliss. 

Light sighed yet again as he flopped down on his bed, as had always been his habit when experiencing extreme boredom alone in his room—a near constant state for the disaffected genius. This, consequently, planted him right near the lounging Shinigami. 

_Whatever._ He wasn't going to move. Why should he? It was _his bed_ and if Ryuk didn’t like it… he could suck it for all Light cared.

The God of Death looked quite shocked at his human’s sudden closeness and at the feeling of Light’s auburn brown hair, so very _soft,_ tickling against his broad chest. 

Light noticed that for a brief moment he had captured the creature’s attention though he wasn't quite sure what to make of the peculiar look in Ryuk’s eye when he grinned down at him. 

Then Ryuk returned his attention to his apple. 

Light felt that dangerous tic returning to his eye as the Shinigami ignored him in favor of chewing on his apple and Light saw red. 

_“Ryuk!”_

How _dare_ Ryuk ignore him and for a stupid _apple_ no less?! For some reason the damned creature’s blatant dismissal was making him irrationally angry otherwise he might have put more thought into his actions. Light watched as his Shinigami reached for the last apple in the basket and the teen was suddenly struck with inspiration on how he could finally recapture his Shinigami's attention. 

**_“Light!”_** The monster whined as Light snatched the last apple out of the basket. 

Light smirked as he took a great big bite out of it. The apple made a loud, satisfying crunch and Light was surprised as a bit of juice dribbled down his wrist and chin. He was also surprised by how good it tasted—he hadn’t gotten to eat an apple in quite a while because they all disappeared down Ryuk’s gullet before he could even had a chance to contemplate them. 

**_“Light! No! Wait! Stop! LIIIIIIIGHT-O!”_** Ryuk shouted and pleaded, frantically waving his claws in the air. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, did you want this?” Light said, flashing the monster a cheeky grin as he took another, smaller bite, the apple again making a most satisfying crunch. 

**_“That’s mine!”_** The Shinigami whined most pathetically.

“Actually if you recall I was the one who bought and paid for them. I did not say you could have all of them. You are such a _pig_ , Ryuk. You could have at least saved me one of them." 

**“Okay, I’m sorry. I’ll try to remember that next time, okay?”** Ryuk attempted to bargain. There was a reason that was the last apple in the basket. Human world apples were something else, tasting loads better than those gritty so-called “apples” found in the Shinigami realm, and Ryuk, having nothing better to do really, was a proper connoisseur of apples. So when confronted with such a delectable apple feast Ryuk had sorted through the fruits, looked inside each of them for worms and imperfections, and sorted them from worst to best, eating the bad ones first. So naturally the apple Light had stolen from him was the very best apple—the one Ryuk had been saving that for desert, for the grand finale—everything that came before was meant to be just the build up to the most blissful apple experience! 

“Mmmm… it’s a really nice one too,” Light hummed in pleasure as he savored the taste of the apple in his mouth “crisp, and juicy and naturally sweet….”

 **“Aw, c’mon! Give it back! Please, Light?! I promise I’ll share with you next time!”** The Shinigami whimpered as Light sadistically performed his apple torture but Kira just laughed. 

“Do you really need your fix that badly? You’re such a _junkie._ ”

**“Then what does that make you, you _goddamned pusher._ ” **

Light locked eyes with Ryuk as he ever-so-slowly began pulling back the thin crimson skin with his teeth prompting Ryuk to give out another distressed cry as Light slowly bit into the white, crisp, juicy flesh. 

“Did you want some of this, Ryuk?”

The Shinigami locked eyes with the boy as Light took another big bite out of his apple. Warning bells should have been going off in Light’s head but unfortunately at this point he was much too into his power trip—it was almost a euphoric feeling, having this God of Death’s _complete_ attention. 

“Do you want it?” 

**“Yes!”**

“Do you really, really want it?”

 **“ _Please,_ Light?”**

Light took out his pocket knife and slowly carved a piece off of it, made a little motion as if he was going to give it to the Shinigami… and at the last second diverted from the apparent course in order to pop it in his own mouth .

 ** _“I hate you!”_** Ryuk roared. 

“You won’t see any more apples with that attitude,” Light laughed. 

As Light continued to tease the whimpering Shinigami who was currently slumped most pathetically in his bed, less than a foot away from him, on some level Light knew that this was a stupid thing to do. But Light was bored and for some reason now that he had the Shinigami’s attention he didn’t want to give it up and if he gave Ryuk the apple it would no doubt consume all of his attention again. 

That meant the apple was an obstacle to his current goal. 

Obstacles were for eliminating.

Ryuk gave an anguished wail as Light finished off the apple and then oh so graciously tossed him the core. 

**“You goddamned _brat._ ”**

The boy’s eyes widened comically as the Shinigami gently set the apple core aside on Light’s nightstand and then _lunged_ , roughly shoving Light backwards onto the mattress and pinning the squirming teenager beneath him. Light felt an odd jolt and cried out as Ryuk made contact—black talons gripping the bare skin of the smaller male’s wrists to pin his arms above his head—because the Shinigami’s hands were _damn cold._

**“You shouldn’t have done that, Light.”** Ryuk hissed.

Light let out a strangled cry of horror as Ryuk was suddenly submerging his head _into_ his stomach and Light belatedly realized that since the Shinigami could walk through walls it made sense that he could walk through _people_ just as easily. 

Ryuk withdrew his head a moment later and Light almost let out a sigh of relief when his body appeared to be intact but then the Shinigami smirked at the now wide-eyed killer. 

**“Oh look, there is my apple, being digested. Unfortunately I can’t remove it without killing you…”**

The teen froze beneath the monster’s malicious stare—he couldn’t think, couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the malicious red gleam of the Shinigami’s eyes, the curve of Ryuk’s lips, stretching back to reveal impossibly more fangs, and the effect it had on him—the raucous beating of his own heart which seemed to be trying to escape its ribcage. 

**“… and even then it will never be the same. So I guess I’ll just have to search for other apples.”**

“I-I don’t have any more apples, Ryuk. I swear!” Light squeaked out, squirming beneath the Shinigami’s iron grip and infernal gaze. 

**“You crossed the line, Light. And now you’re going to pay.”**

“Ryuk… you… you’re. You’re _scaring_ me,” the teenage killer whined as the Shinigami kept him pinned to the mattress and then his brain caught up to his mouth and he was absolutely mortified that he actually admitted it. But he had been completely caught off guard by the Shinigami’s terrifying change in mood. Ryuk was usually so funny and playful that Light had even come to think of the Shinigami as his pal... 

_Not like this._

**“Good. It seems to me you need to be scared, brat. It seems to me you have forgotten which of us is the _actual_ God.”** Ryuk snarled and then ripped Light’s shirt off with jagged teeth and the detached, always calculating part of Light’s mind idly wondered why his body shivered so uncontrollably when his bare skin met only slightly drafty air.

“Please, _not like this!_ ” Light surprised himself again by pleading aloud, eyes squeezing shut of their own accord as Ryuk rumbled ominously above him and that mouth full of jagged fangs seemed to be descending towards his face. This caused Ryuk to actually pause as he took in the sight of the terrified teenager beneath him.

**“You obviously wanted my attention, _brat._ Now you have it. What’s the problem?”**

“Stop calling me that! I—” Light froze at the feeling of Ryuk slowly rubbing the pads of his thumbs against his trapped wrists.“Ryuk, _what are you—_ ” 

**“I’ll call you a brat when you behave like a brat. That’s what you are—a brat begging for punishment! You know, there is a rule I haven’t told you about humans and Shinigami, an ancient rule but a valid one. You see you deprived me of my pleasure so I am allowed to take from you something of equal or greater value.”**

“Wait! _That’s not fair!” This is it then. He’s going to take my soul. Despite his assurances to the contrary I always felt… always knew it was only a matter of time…._

 **“Touch shit. You pissed me off. You’re lucky I like you or I would have killed you for that. Now, what to do with you, _brat?_ ”** The monster chuckled sadistically while leering down at his prey. 

“I… _please Ryuk._ I just… I just wanted to play with you!” Light immediately cringed at how stupidly childish that sounded when spoken aloud but this entire situation had thrown him off. Somewhere along the line Light had begun to unconsciously regard the Shinigami as merely a manifestation of his Godly powers. Ryuk was supposed to be _safe._ A loyal pet and friend that only he could see or hear. Light was surprised and humiliated by his own reactions—he also realized he wasn't acting very Godly at the moment but that was the least of his concerns.

If anything Light was more surprised by Ryuk's reaction to his embarrassing confession.

The Shinigami’s eyes softened a bit, the anger over the lost apple seemingly melting away, but he didn’t slacken his grip on Light's wrists (and didn't _that_ feel strange?!). **“Well, why didn’t you just say so? I’d love to play with you, Light-o.”**

The teen relaxed ever so slightly in the Shinigami’s grip but watched Ryuk wearily as the monster continued to smirk down at him. Light hissed as a strange tremor went through his body, somehow induced by Ryuk as he kept rubbing the pads of his thumbs against Light’s trapped wrists. The teen squirmed again and instinctively tried to turn his head away, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Light was very confused—why was it that Ryuk pinning him down felt… kind of good? Shouldn’t such feelings of entrapment and terror be the exact opposite of what he wanted? Light shivered slightly upon seeing the exaggerated curve of his Shinigami’s smile. 

**“I still have to punish you though. I’m sure you understand of course.”**

“You intend to play with me… and punish me?” Light asked in obvious confusion. 

_How would that work? Does Ryuk intend to slaughter me at video games or something? That seems kind of light as punishments go but then, it was just an apple—it's hardly a big deal…_

**“Naturally.”** Ryuk leered again and the killer swallowed hard in between too loud, nervous breaths. 

Right, this was Ryuk. Apples were _everything_ to him…

Light flinched instinctively when Ryuk was suddenly _right there,_ that mouth full of razor sharp fangs mere inches from his neck and it occurred to Light just how effortless it would be on the monster’s part to rip his throat out. 

**“I’m just searching for my apples, Light,”** Ryuk assured in an oddly soothing tone when he noticed the teenager tense up beneath him. **“I promise I’m not going to hurt you.”**

“You’re not going to hurt me… but you _are_ going to punish me?” 

**“Yes.”** Ryuk cackled, that sadistic gleam never leaving the monster’s eyes and another cold tremor raced up Light’s spine.

 _How does that even make sense? Just how does he intend to punish me?_

“I already told you, Ryuk. I don’t have any more apples!” 

**“I’ll be the judge of that,”** Ryuk grinned—the monster’s usual perpetually smiling face stretching even further to reveal impossibly more fangs. **“Don’t worry so much,”** the Shinigami cooed, but his ill-attempt at soothing words was belied by the ominous crackling sound hailed the dark wings that came erupting out of the monster’s back. To Light it was as if his entire world was engulfed by the dark looming specter that hung above him, **“I promise to search gently.”**

“But… “ _But I don’t have any apples!_

Light squeaked and jolted in Ryuk’s hold when the Shinigami’s feathers brushed against his bare skin, accidentally tickling his chest and side, causing the teenaged mass murderer to begin giggling uncontrollably. Naturally Ryuk was fascinated by his usually stoical human’s uncharacteristic reaction and so felt compelled to do it again… and again. 

“ _Shit!_ Stop that!” Light snapped between bouts of laughter while Ryuk slowly trailed his fluffy black primary feathers across the boy’s bare stomach. 

“Please! Ryuk! _Mercy!_ ” Light pleaded, tears streaming down his cheeks and he wheezed for breath as Ryuk kept toying with him. _My reputation,_ Light mentally groaned. He took great pains to hide his one weakness in public by always acting cool and reserved and untouchable. At least Ryuk couldn’t tell anyone—Light thanked his lucky stars for small mercies.

**“You dare ask mercy from me, you _thief?_ ”**

“I’m not a _thief!_ It was _my_ apple!” Light snapped indignantly but Ryuk didn’t seem very intimidated by his most murderous glare. Light realized it was probably hard for Ryuk to take him seriously when he _couldn’t stop laughing._

“They were… ( _HA!_ ) They were my apples! (No no, _don’t…_ ) I was gracious enough (Fucking hell!) to share them with you—” Light’s words were cut off by the embarrassing squeal that escaped his throat as his Shinigami nuzzled his cheek against Light’s stomach. 

“ _Oh my god!_ What are you doing?!” Light yelped and jumped in Ryuk’s hold when his Shinigami decided to up the ante by flicking out his cold, wet tongue and slowly, sloppily licking and sucking at Light’s sensitive stomach. 

**“Hmmm…”** Ryuk just grinned down at him. **“I know my apple is under here,”** the Shinigami cackled as he trailed a claw around the boy’s stomach **“so I wanted to see if you tasted like apples. I haven’t found any yet but you do smell nice. I hope you don’t mind if I have a little taste?”**

Ryuk’s request woke Light up to the fact that all of the Shinigami’s razor sharp teeth were right there, hanging scant inches from his stomach. 

_“Don’t bite!”_ Light shouted frantically. 

Ryuk chuckled again. **“I wasn’t planning to, Light-o. Just a little taste, okay?”** the Shinigami insisted as he once again flicked out his cold, wet tongue. **“That okay Light?”** Ryuk inquired in a rare show of compassion as the teenager shuddered beneath him. 

No, this shouldn’t be okay! Ryuk had seriously just asked to… _lick him?!_

_Why would he want to do that? That’s just weird!_ That idea should never be _okay_ let alone somehow… _enticing!_

_…Which it is not. It’s just weird. Dammit! This was what Ryuk must have meant by a punishment. He means to humiliate me. What other purpose could it possibly serve?_

Light gasped again in confusion when he caught himself nodding anyway and Ryuk lowered his mouth once more over that most sensitive spot he had discovered on Light’s stomach. 

_“Oh!”_ Light gave a startled hiss in pleasure, honey-colored eyes closing to satisfied slits as Ryuk slowly and gently licked his way across Light’s stomach. 

“Oh _yes!_ ” Light gasped out at the feeling of the Shinigami lapping playfully at his belly and he felt his body sinking bonelessly into the mattress in total surrender. Then the teenaged killer realized what he’d just said and immediately clamped his mouth shut in absolute mortification. 

_What the hell—?!_

**“Did you know you have your own taste, Light? It’s quite pleasant,”** Ryuk informed him as he slowly licked him again. Beneath him Light twitched again and a strangled moan escaped from deep within the killer’s throat. Light’s skin turned an even brighter shade of red. 

**“Apple red,”** Ryuk smirked in between licks. **“You know, I could get addicted to this.”** Ryuk murmured before flicking his tongue out again so that it dipped inside the curve of Light’s belly button. 

Light continued to squirm in his Shinigami’s hold, feelings of humiliation and arousal churning deep within his core. Light quite enjoyed the sensations of Ryuk’s tongue on his skin even though he didn’t think he should. After all, how could he like something so _humiliating?_ So very, very _wrong?_ What the hell was wrong with him? He even kind of liked the feeling of being held down with Ryuk above him…Light gasped and relaxed again at another swirling flick of Ryuk’s tongue. 

_I suppose this isn’t too bad as punishments go._

Ryuk shifted above him slightly and Light was further mortified when his body decided now would be a good time to cry out a loud, lusty moan and arch up into Ryuk’s touch. 

_Fucking hell!_

“ _Please,_ Ryuk?! Don’t you think I’ve been punished enough?” Light had intended it to be a demand but it came out as more of a pleading, raspy whine before devolving into yet another giggling fit as Ryuk found another highly ticklish spot to play with. 

**“No. Not even close, brat,”** the Shinigami smirked, ruffling up the teen’s once perfect hair. 

_“Hey!”_ the brunet protested sending a murderous glare up at his tormentor which prompted his Shinigami to cackle and do it again, slowly running his claws through his human’s hair, gently massaging his scalp. Beneath him the boy froze and then completely relaxed, softly moaning again, thoroughly enjoying the sensations of being petted until he seemed to realize what he was doing. 

Ryuk had freed up the use of his hands by pinning Light down with his wings. Light found that Ryuk’s wings were both wonderfully soft to the touch and surprisingly strong and, worse, tickled against his wrists when he had tested their hold.

Light hissed again at the feeling of Ryuk’s dark taloned hands rubbing gentle little circles around his hips—that felt way too good. A questioning little whine escaped Light’s throat as Ryuk kept touching him and his face flushed impossibly darker in embarrassment at the effect the Shinigami was having on him. 

**“Like that, huh?”** Ryuk cackled above him as Light threw his head back and cried out again as Ryuk gently pawed at his chest. 

_“Son of a bitch!”_ Light whispered as he stared up at the Shinigami in shock and horror. 

**“Just relax.”** Ryuk murmured once again in that oddly gentle, almost purring tone and Light hissed again at the pressure steadily building, trapped within the confines of his khaki pants. 

_Damn that Shinigami and damn that damned voice of his! What a time for this to happen!_

Light found himself complying to Ryuk’s request—his body relaxing further in the Shinigami’s grip as he shivered and twitched beneath the demonic creature in his bed. To Light’s further embarrassment he couldn’t stop from moaning out loud again as the monster casually settled a possessive hand on his stomach. White hot pleasure began to build and coil around at his core and Light again cursed the Shinigami’s stupid feathers and stupid touches and stupid voice and the fact that he had somehow, strangely in the process of being held down and tortured by the damned beast he'd become _painfully_ aroused and Light now found himself _longing_ for Ryuk’s touches. The rational part of Light was repulsed by the bizarre and disgusting turn of his thoughts but the rest of him thoroughly didn’t care. Light gasped and arched slightly as Ryuk’s palm slowly trailed across his stomach again. He’d never _wanted_ someone in this way nor had he ever wanted something so _badly_ before—and that honestly scared him. 

**“Hmmmm… these are red but not an apple,”** Ryuk observed as he trailed a careful claw against Light’s cheek, causing the boy to blush even hotter. 

**“You have a bit of apple juice here on your chin too.”** Ryuk announced in amusement in between fervent licks as he slowly left a sloppy wet trail up to the boy’s mouth before slowly heading south, softly kissing Light’s neck and chest. The Shinigami took his sweet time, savoring the hint of pomaceous juices that yet clung to the boy’s skin that Ryuk proceeded to lick raw with his rough tongue. 

**“Oh, would you look at that?”** ( _Lick. Lick._ ) **“Tiny apples! Aren’t they cute!”**

_Tiny apples? What?!_

_“Ah!”_ Light cried out as he felt a pleasant jolt run through his body as Ryuk’s claw gently traced the darker flesh of his right nipple followed by that damned, playfully swishing tongue which made Light whimper and strain in Ryuk’s hold. 

**“Hmmm I have to wonder… does that pretty, lying mouth of yours taste like apples?”** Ryuk rumbled softly between long, insistent licks at Light’s chin and lips. Light managed to emit a muffled, scandalized grunt in protest as Ryuk abruptly sought entrance, the Shinigami’s tongue worming its way in between gasping, half-parted lips. Ryuk was intent on slowly exploring every inch of the wet cavern that was the teen’s mouth; the Shinigami’s rough tongue moving gently against the smaller, warmer human one as he thoroughly plundered the boy’s mouth for any traces of his remaining apple. It was only after the smaller body began to go limp beneath him that he remembered that his human needed to breathe. Had he gotten a bit carried away? Just how long had it been? Ryuk abruptly pulled back and was further surprised when instead of gasping for air the teen emitted a disgruntled, frustrated little whine and while Light’s breathing came in harsh pants it wasn’t for lack of air. The Shinigami stared in curious amazement as the body beneath him was became pliant and yielding to his touch. 

**_“Light-o...”_ **

Light whimpered again as Ryuk gently stroked the skin of his captured wrists with the pads of his thumbs. This apparently was a sensitive spot on his human given that it made him squirm again and let out another embarrassed groan. 

_“You son of a bitch!”_ Light whispered as he stared up at the Shinigami in shock and horror before abruptly turning his head away in alarmed realization. _“YOU… you’re… you’re coming onto me?!“_

The Shinigami paused to _gape_ down at the teenager. 

Light was wearing a rather shocked expression of his own and rapidly retreated to the other side of the bed after Ryuk let him go. 

**“You didn’t even… _Dammit,_ Light! I thought you were a genius!”**

_“Hey!”_ Light snapped while rubbing his sore wrists slightly. Ryuk’s talons had left a series of small, shallow scratches on his wrists that to Light might as well have been brands. 

How was he supposed to guess the Shinigami’s intentions? Sure, he was a God among men when it came to predicting the moves and motives of other humans but he wasn’t a _mind_ reader—and Ryuk wasn’t exactly human either. Honestly he hadn’t even considered that Ryuk might be interested in him _that_ way … Oh lord, was this really what this was? Had he really engaging in _sexual acts_ with a Shinigami?! Wasn’t Ryuk just _playing_ with him?! 

_“Playing”… He meant… Oh FUCK…_

Meanwhile Ryuk looked quite annoyed that they obviously weren’t on the same page. **“How can _you,_ of all people, be so… _innocent?_ ”**

“What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?” Light demanded with equal annoyance. ‘You of all people’ just what the hell was he insinuating? And how _dare_ he?! What the hell gave a _Shinigami_ the right to even insinuate he was less than perfect? He was the number one honor’s student in all of Japan! 

**“Seriously, Light what was your first clue? What did you _think_ I was doing when I ripped your shirt off?”**

“It was a nice shirt too,” Light pouted, mourning the loss of his shirt because it was safer than dealing with what was in front of him. Denial always was Light’s favorite defense mechanism. At times Light could be very selective of what realities he chose to accept and which he chose to ignore. So the teen had clung to the belief that when Ryuk said he wanted to play with him he meant he was just messing around—that this was just male bonding, rough-housing between close friends. And he hadn’t thought that any of Ryuk’s licking and touching and, well, _kissing_ to be inherently sexual. _Of course_ it wasn’t his goofy yet monstrous roommate dominating and (successfully!) seducing him. No, that would be quite impossible. 

Or so Light had led himself to believe. 

Light shot Ryuk an irritable look as the Shinigami rumbled and nuzzled against his neck cooing and giggling **“My _innocent_ killer. No wonder you didn’t get any of my sex jokes! Oh you’re so precious! It makes me want to kiss you again!”**

“You… you want to kiss me again,” Light asked in yet another embarrassing squeak as he once again eyed the Shinigami’s shark-like mouth warily. “On the _mouth?_ ” While he had thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of the Shinigami sloshing around in his mouth before his brain was currently breaking on the subjects of how and why. Dammit, _Ryuk_ had kissed him and he had liked it! Maybe if he wished hard enough the ground would swallow him up… 

_How the hell did Ryuk get that skilled with his tongue?!_

**“That’s right… well, really more like _in_ the mouth.”**

“Er… but j-just a kiss? Right? No biting?” Light asked hopefully. 

**“Yep, no biting. Just a kiss… though I’d also like to play with your tiny apples a bit more! They’re so cute!”**

Light cringed slightly but powered through “But that’s all you want, right?” 

**“For now,”** Ryuk assented, eyes still gleaming that ominous shade of red. 

Light worked to control his breathing. 

Okay. So this was weird and embarrassing and he never, _ever_ went so far with any of his dates but Light reflected that as punishments go it could have been much, _much_ worse. And this was actually an eventuality he _had_ considered—that he would actually have to use his body to further his objectives or just to stay alive. Granted, he just hadn’t foreseen that it would be _Ryuk_ who would be the one to take him… 

**“I believe it’s called a ‘make-out session’ nowadays. You do understand the concept, right?”** The monster asked the teen genius. Light shot him an irritated glare. 

“I’m not an idiot, Ryuk.” 

**“…Just checking… _adorable baby boy! Baby-faced killer!_ ”**

Kira’s right eye ticked in annoyance. 

“Ryuk… cut it out. You know I’m not that _innocent._ ” Light snapped and Ryuk was considerate enough to at least make the effort to hide his continued snickering behind his talons. Had Kira been feeling more charitable at the moment he might have at least given him credit for trying. 

“Alright, I’d say you’ve taken my innocence now…” 

**“Not quite yet, babe. I assure you, you’ll know when I do. Oh, look at you! _You’re just so precious!_ ”**

“…so can you _please_ stop calling me that?” 

**“I’m over two thousand years older than you—you’ll always be ‘cute baby boy’ to me, Light-o.”**

“Ugh! You…. _creepy old man!_ ” Light groaned but Ryuk continued to cackle evilly. 

Light sighed in resignation. “So I guess this means you’re going to want sex from me at some point?” 

**“I knew you were smart, Light!”** Ryuk grinned his ghastly grin while thinking of how he had intended to take him that very evening if his seduction of the flirty teenager went as planned. 

“And what exactly would that entail?” 

Ryuk stopped to gape at the teenager again. **“ _Really,_ Light? Do I need to draw you a diagram or…”**

“That wasn’t what I was asking!” 

The Shinigami glanced up questioningly as Light abruptly got up and began to pace about his room like a caged animal but never straying too far from his bed—it wouldn’t do to let Ryuk think he was _afraid_ of him or something absurd like that. 

“Goddammit, Ryuk just because I’m not interested in sex doesn’t mean I don’t know what it is!” Light barked out angrily because goddammit, he knew the mechanics! He knew what it meant to insert Part A into Slot B and get all wet and sticky and _stupid_ over each other. What he couldn’t understand was why anyone would want to put themselves in that position and allow themselves to become so vulnerable. Not to mention the whole process just seemed so gross and unappealing Light couldn’t understand why _anyone_ would want it let alone why wanting it was considered normal. 

**“ _Not interested…?_ But I _know_ everything’s working down there. I saw you jacking it yesterday!”**

“Oh _God,_ ” Light groaned and covered his eyes with his hand. 

**“Are you like, you know, trying to be a _monk_ or something?”**

Light supposed that was part of it. His parents were of the strong opinion that it was immoral to have sex before marriage but Light hadn’t exactly minded such a restriction. Honestly, he’d never met another human he would have wanted to bash genitals with… and given his bizarre and recently discovered attraction to _his Shinigami,_ of all “people,” he probably never would. Honestly, he held such contempt for the rest of humanity why _would_ he be attracted to another human? In Light’s opinion humans were supposed to be good and constantly failed in that regard and since he was so far above them in, well, _everything_ Light reasoned that it made perfect sense that he would never be attracted to another human… But what didn’t make sense to him was how that could possibly translate to being attracted to _Ryuk._ After all, Shinigami were supposed to be bad… but then Ryuk was pretty nice to him most of the time, not to mention fun to hang out with. And because Ryuk was a Shinigami, a creature of death and destruction, it followed that it was Ryuk’s nature to sin so Light could forgive Ryuk’s transgressions much more readily than he could with another human since humans were _supposed_ to aspire to be civilized and follow the rules and not hurt others but continued to do so anyway. Given that Light considered the Shinigami’s default nature as evil that also meant that when Ryuk was nice to him… well that just made it more _special_ given that usually a Shinigami’s only interaction with a human would be to kill them. Given that Light had never seen his Shinigami interact with other humans he could imagine that Ryuk was being nice for him and him alone and only he got to see this softer side of the Shinigami. That was just it—Ryuk was _all his._ Ryuk’s joking and attention and flattering and gentle touches and trouncing him at video games were all just for him. 

Light discreetly studied the Shinigami out of the corner of his eye and wondered if, for the first time, he might have actually found an exception to his usual lack of interest because that was the first time he ever felt any sort of interest for anyone. True, Ryuk wasn’t very pretty to look at but then physical appearance didn’t seem to be a factor with Light’s usual non-interest—Light had seen and even dated several pretty people and they never did anything for him. Yet for some unfathomable reason _Ryuk_ did. Light wracked his brains trying to figure out why. It wasn’t his looks for certain, or his intellect—well Ryuk wasn’t stupid (he really wasn’t, Light even held something approaching a grudging respect for the creature for the couple of rare occasions where Ryuk had actually managed to pull one over on _him_ ) but Ryuk was by no means on his level. No, Light realized, what made Ryuk so attractive to him was the constant _companionship_ his Shinigami provided. 

Light hadn’t even realized it but he was kind of… _lonely._ He hadn’t realized it because it really had been a constant for the young genius. Sure he had a loving, supportive family and at school he had lots of friends but that didn’t stop him from feeling very alone. As a child no one had ever had the patience to listen to the young prodigy’s babbling complexities. Even his family would eventually tune out with a “That’s nice dear.” He should have been used to it. It had been that way all his life. But then Ryuk came. Truth be told, Light had never had a friend like Ryuk before—and not just because he was a Shinigami. The thing was Ryuk was always there and he would always listen to him. That was it, really, Ryuk _listened,_ and even if the Shinigami didn’t always understand him, even if Ryuk _didn’t really care,_ he still listened—he at least cared enough to pretend. He showed more direct interest in Light and his life than anyone else ever had. For Light that was enough. 

And that wasn’t even getting into the fact that now Ryuk was the only one he really _could_ talk to about many things—the only one he could share his private thoughts with without getting arrested. Light realized that he felt the most relaxed around his Shinigami—he just felt he could confide in his constant companion about most anything—and for the first time Light wondered if maybe he _could_ be attracted to someone, provided the relationship was based on feelings of friendship and mutual respect and that things like (ugh) sex and… _feelings_ and such bullshit were more of an afterthought. He didn’t think he’d mind exploring such a relationship with someone he had truly _bonded_ with…. (And wasn’t that ironic? Light somehow doubted Ryuk had meant that when he informed him that they had bonded through the Death Note and had some weird, demonic pact thing together.) So Light supposed that he was okay with his… _friend_ touching him in that way. He certainly couldn’t imagine doing it with anyone else. 

Ryuk’s gaze never left the teen’s pacing form. Light continued to pace, unaware that his irritated pacing reflected the strange turn of his thoughts as clearly as if they were written upon him in black ink. 

Light swallowed as he glanced up to meet Ryuk’s smoldering stare. “I… I honestly don’t know how I feel about this, Ryuk. I’ll admit I’m curious. I don’t think I’d mind, er… _playing_ with you.” 

**“Is that all?”** The Shinigami asked, sounding a bit disappointed at Light’s lack of enthusiasm. 

“You don’t understand, Ryuk. This is kind of a big deal for me. I’ve never been interested in anyone that way before because, like I told you, I’m really not interested in sex. Please understand, if I am less than enthusiastic about it, it is not meant as an insult nor does it reflect poorly on you or your skills—quite the opposite, really. You see, I might want to try it with you—normally I wouldn’t want it at all.” 

**“Wait… are you seriously suggesting you’re only attracted to me?!”**

The flushed cheeks and sullen look that the teenager gave him told Ryuk all he needed to know—that, as improbably as it seemed, Light was _actually telling the truth._

“Yes… ” 

**“Yeah, I don’t think I could ever find that insulting.”**

“Though like I told you, Ryuk, I’m not sure how often I could do it for you. This is… this is the first time I’ve ever had this kind of interest in anyone,” the teen admitted, biting his lip in embarrassment. 

**“Okay.”** Ryuk said gently, taking on a mien quite opposite of his earlier ribbing and took to speaking to the teen using the sort of soothing, gentle tones one would use when trying to calm and coax a wounded animal out of corner without getting mauled. Of course Light couldn’t physically hurt him but the teen could be quite vindictive when he got into one of his moods and could hurt him in other ways—such as withholding apples or worse ignoring him… 

“So when I ask for details about how you want to have sex with me I’d like you to tell me exactly what you intend to do to me.” 

**“Aw. But wouldn’t that ruin the surprise?”**

“I don’t want any surprises, Ryuk. I’m only comfortable with trying this if I know what you’re doing. Maybe… _maybe_ if I like it and become more comfortable with it we can play like that later but for now, for the first time… _please,_ I don’t want any surprises.” 

**“Alright.”**

So Ryuk told him, describing in graphic detail all he had planned to do, and the teen sat and listened in rapt fascination but not without a tinge of fear. Light had to admit he _was_ curious about all Ryuk had to teach him on the subject even if his interest was only academic… 

**“…I’ll kiss your neck and hold you and caress you with my wings…”**

As Light listened, Ryuk’s husky voice seemed to wash over him as the Shinigami detailed exactly what he wanted to do to him and the boy’s cock twitched with interest within the confines of his khaki trousers. Light gritted his teeth. It was like his body was mocking him. 

**“…then I’m gonna push you on your back and play with your tiny apples… make you feel _real good…_ ”**

The teen shivered slightly and bit his lip as his Shinigami continued speaking in a voice Light found far too soothing considering the subject matter. 

**“…I will then kiss your dirty mouth again—”**

“My mouth isn’t dirty,” Light protested, interrupting Ryuk’s ad lib attempt at romance novel writing which was getting far too… intense as far as Light was concerned. 

**“It is when compared to mine. Your dirty human mouth is just crawling with germs whereas mine is completely sterile.”**

“Why would you want to kiss it then?” 

**“I don’t mind if you’re dirty, Light. Like I just told you Shinigami don’t get sick or carry germs. I’d be the cleanest thing you ever had in your mouth. Or inside you for that matter,”** Ryuk chuckled as a luminous blush spread across Light’s face. **“You’d never have a cleaner lover than me. If you wanted to you could eat a meal off of my ass and have it be completely clean.”**

_“God!”_

**“…I thought that was you?”**

_“Shut up!”_ Light snapped, blushing furiously and Ryuk cackled again. Light was just so cute when he was flustered—Ryuk was once again overtaken by the impulse to reach out and ruffle his hair. Light froze and stared at him again. Ryuk mentally declared it a victory when Light leaned slightly into his touch. 

**“…anyway I thought I’d finish up all that up with a bit of licking and grinding for a bit and then I’ll soothe the pain in your, hyuk, _blue apples_ by taking them in my mouth…”**

“NO! No. No. No. No. No. No. No. _NO! Fuck NO! No oral!_ ” Light insisted even as he tripped and fell backwards, back onto the bed in a botched attempt to put more space between himself and his amorous Shinigami. 

**“I promise I won’t bite, Light.”**

“Pardon me if I’m skeptical given that you keep referring to my dick as an apple!” 

**“Well, I could give you a hand job instead…”**

Light eyed Ryuk’s claws wearily. 

**“If not, that’s okay. I can make you come without touching your dick at all.”** Ryuk chuckled as he swatted the retreating teen playfully on the ass. 

_“Urk!”_ Light grunted scuttling away until his back hit the wall, suddenly self-conscious and wary of Ryuk’s ever-staring eyes and gaping, fangy grin. 

Oh. Of course. Ryuk wanted to top. That should have been obvious. Light refrained from commenting on Ryuk's (now obvious) intentions, not wanting to make an ass of himself again. It was not because he was a little intrigued by the idea of bottoming. Not at all. 

“You’ll just… you’d just fuck me then? Skip the foreplay?” 

**“No way!”** Ryuk said, scandalized. **“That would take all the fun out of it! It’s important to me that you have fun too, Light. Besides you’re much too tight for me to just take you like that. It would be a very uncomfortable experience for both of us. No, I intend to take my sweet time stretching you out and playing with you first.”**

_“Playing?!”_ the killer squeaked as the Shinigami crept closer. 

**“I promise it’s nice. It’s like… like eating a hundred really good apples!”** Ryuk declared eagerly but Light looked unconvinced. **“Dammit, I’m bad at explaining. It would be far easier to just show you…”**

Light held up his hand to halt the Shinigami’s advance. Of course they both knew that that would not have stopped Ryuk in the slightest had he not respected Light’s wishes on the matter. “No Ryuk. Use words, please. What do you intend to do?” 

**“Er, well… I intend to show you what my tongue can do…”**

The teen emitted an embarrassed groan. “I thought you already did.” 

**“No, I meant like, spreading your big apples and worming my tongue inside until I found your core and pluck at the seeds. I’d make you feel real good.”**

“Holy shit! You want to stick your tongue… _in there?!_ ” Light squawked, outright gaping at the Shinigami with wide, traumatized eyes. 

**“Yeah…”**

“That… that can’t taste very good.” 

**“No,”** Ryuk cackled deeply and another chill went racing up Light’s spine. **“But it would be totally worth it to give you pleasure,”** Ryuk said, giving his half-truth earnestly—Light had taught him well. What Ryuk really wanted was to have Light squirming beneath him, begging him for it but he didn’t think telling Light that would be very conductive to getting into the boy’s pants. 

“Or… or very hygienic…” 

**“Completely clean, remember? It feels very good, Light. I promise.”**

“Then what will you do?” Light prompted, throat suddenly dry. 

**“I’ll lick your big apples and make you cry and beg for it.”**

The teen swallowed again. _But what if I don’t want it?_ Light thought nervously. 

**“When you’re ready I will then grab you by the hips and spread your apples apart and become the worm inside you.”**

"You’ll do _what?!_ " 

**“I’ll push my dick in your hole.”**

Of course Light had a general idea of what this was leading up to but was still surprised to hear the words coming out of Ryuk’s mouth. 

**“I promise I’ll be gentle,”** Ryuk assured him but Light felt anything but. **“Once I’m in you I’ll wait for a while to let you get used to having me inside you. Then I will fuck you—slow and easy of course since I’m big and it’s your first time.”**

Light startled as he felt Ryuk’s talons settle on his shoulder as the Shinigami leaned down to better hiss seductively in his ear. 

**“I’ll set a real gentle rhythm, in and out, and kiss your neck again and hold you and let you feel my feathers against your skin and I will touch you where you want to be touched as I worm my dick around inside you and after a while we’ll make apple custard together. ‘Kay?!”**

Light hissed, hard and throbbing and Ryuk smirked knowingly. 

**“Do you think you might like that, Light-o?”**

“That… I guess that doesn’t sound too bad. But I think I’d like it better without the apple metaphors.” 

**_“Heresy!”_**

Light swallowed again as he felt the Shinigami’s eyes upon him. How had it come to this? It was just a bit of innocent teasing brought on by boredom. 

_Stupid snow!_ If it wasn’t a snow day he wouldn’t have been so bored he tried to come between Ryuk and his apple and now apparently Ryuk wanted compensation and apples weren’t going to cut it. 

“You’re not joking around… you really… you really want to screw me, don’t you?” 

**“Oh yes, Light-o. I’d have you. In _every_ way, in _any_ way—just tell me what you’d like, my juicy sweet.”**

The boy let out another confused whine as Ryuk teasingly licked the shell of his ear. 

**“…but that’s only if you want to go all the way, of course. Just know that if we do—you’re going to be wearing this.”** Ryuk insisted, dropping a small black loop of leather into Light’s lap. 

The teen frowned, brows furrowed in obvious puzzlement as he picked it up. “Isn’t it a little small for a bracelet?” 

The Shinigami rolled his eyes and once again wondered at how his favorite murderer could possibly be so naïve in the ways of the world. **“That’s because it’s a cock ring, Light.”**

The teen dropped it as if burned, recoiling in horror. 

_“Are you fucking serious?!”_

**“It’s necessary. I have much better stamina than that of a human—even a human as impressive as you.”** Ryuk added in an attempt to sooth the boy’s massive ego. **“Without it you’d come too early and you wouldn’t find the experience very enjoyable."**

Light swallowed again, nervous and… strangely aroused. He doubted it would be very enjoyable anyway but Ryuk was trying so hard to be accommodating even though he was, technically, supposed to be _punishing_ him...

 **“If you want to accept your punishment now, I hope you don’t have anything planned for tonight—you can bet we’ll be at it for _hours._ ”**

Light shivered again, groaning slightly. 

Of course Light didn’t think he deserved punishment for just taking the apple, especially given that it was technically _his_ apple—he had bought them with his own money and that he’d already shared the rest of the basket with the Shinigami… but Light figured he probably deserved it for being so _stupid._ Just what had he been thinking? Coming between Ryuk and an apple?! It was as if the greater than usual boredom brought on by cabin fever had made him _goddamned suicidal._ It had been so irrational yet he had just felt so _furious_ when Ryuk ignored him—he just couldn’t _stand_ that. And wasn’t Ryuk supposed to be here for him? After all he came all the way from another world just to _watch him_ and what he did with the Death Note. So why shouldn’t Ryuk's main focus be him? Hell, Ryuk ought to treat him like the star of the show and be enamored with his every move, and be in awe of his cleverness and love him all the more for it... 

The teen froze again at the strange turn of his thoughts. 

_That’s not… How did…?! Do I really? Do I really want…? Oh God…_

_**“You obviously wanted my attention, brat. Now you have it.”** _

_Could it be? Was I really… jealous? Of an apple?!_

_Fuck! I do. I want Ryuk to lov— **LIKE** me. A Shinigami! How stupid is that?! How the FUCK did this even happen?!_

He hadn’t even seen it happening. Ryuk who was always there, always watching, always listening, always _praising_ him… until he didn’t. And Light found he couldn’t _stand_ it when Ryuk ignored him. He wanted the Shinigami’s attention so _badly_ it didn’t matter how he got it. 

_“Ryuk…”_

**“Huh?”**

“I’m sorry,” Light whispered, his curtain of brown bangs falling into his eyes. 

**_“Wha—?!”_** Ryuk gawked at his human. Light _never_ apologized to him. Apologizing meant admitting he was in the wrong and naturally Light Yagami was _never_ wrong. 

“You were right—I _was_ being a brat.” 

Ryuk wondered if he had just pushed too far and ruined something for himself, if he had just broken the one human he’d ever met who wasn’t afraid. 

**“I’m sorry too, Light. I’m sorry if I misread you and I’m sorry if I scared you. _Please_ don’t be afraid of me now.”**

“I’m not scared of you, Ryuk,” Light insisted more than a little indignantly, “I’m not apologizing because I’m _afraid._ I’m apologizing because I recognize my behavior was atrocious. You were right,” Light ground out, “I wanted your attention but I was a real brat about it. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

**“Awww. But Light you’re my brat and I like you like that. And just between you and me I’d willingly sacrifice an apple or two if it meant I got a chance to punish you later.”**

Light swallowed again nervously. 

**“You really didn’t like it?”**

“Well, it was kind of… _weird_ but I guess it wasn’t too bad.” 

**“Was there anything in particular that you liked? Or was there anything you wouldn’t want me to do again?”**

Light internally debated on the wisdom of sharing his discovery with Ryuk. 

**“Light?”**

_What the hell—this might be my only chance._

“I think… all of it. I mean, it wasn’t boring so you must be doing something right. Er… when you pinned me down that was a bit… _unnerving_ at first but also kind of… exciting?! I don’t know. I just… sort of… liked that. It was kind of interesting.”

Ryuk smirked and pulled off a jingling chain from his belt fitted with a pair of smooth leather cuffs. 

**“If you want I could tie you up while we play. Do you think you’d like that?”**

The teen tried to hide his nervousness whilst trying to prompt his suddenly frozen brain to give an intelligible response. 

_Fuck! Why did I tell him I liked it? This could go **so wrong.** Why? Just to… get off? What is wrong with me today?! Dammit, I’m not even that interested in sex! It’s Ryuk. He’s so interested in… doing that. And I don’t really want to say no to Ryuk. Maybe… Maybe because Ryuk wants it I was pushing myself to want it too._

**“This is all hypothetical of course,”** Ryuk said soothingly as it appeared that his human was on the verge of some sort of mental meltdown. **“Only when you’re ready, Light. _If_ you ever want it. Make no mistake, I’d very much like to fuck you—but only if you want me to. I _won’t_ force you—I’m not _that_ kind of monster.”**

The teen swallowed again and peeked up, almost shyly, at his monstrous companions through the fringe of his bangs. “If… _if_ we did it. You’ll stop, if I don’t like it?”

**“Yes. The safe word is ‘Oranges.’”**

“Really, Ryuk?”

 **“Yep!”** Ryuk said cheerfully, completely missing the sarcasm. 

“But… but that’s how you intend to punish me? Right?” 

**“Yes, that _was_ what I had in mind. But as punishments go it would be a very _long_ and _hard_ one, I’m afraid.”**

Light gulped again and broke out into a nervous sweat. 

**“But it’s very important to me that you enjoy this sort of punishment, Light. I thought that you’d be okay with it given that you were flirting with me…”**

_“I…”_

**“But it’s not supposed to be harsh. It’s supposed to be _fun._ And if that really isn’t something you’d enjoy I do have an alternate in mind.”**

“Really? What is it?” 

The Shinigami dug something out of one of the pouches attached to his belt. 

**“Here you go,”** the Shinigami chirped as he held up an ornate black leather collar with the words _“Property of Ryuk”_ stitched into the side in English Romanji characters, written in silver thread. **“You can just wear this instead and I’ll call us even.”** Ryuk said; giggling as the teen just sat there gaping at him like a fish that had been caught in a net and was in the process of slowly suffocating. 

“F-for how long?” 

He couldn’t possibly leave the house in that thing! He’d _die_ of humiliation! Not to mention the questions and problems it would cause—especially with a certain detective stalking him…

**“Eh, about a week should do it… or longer if you decide you like it. You can just put on the collar on, forget about the whole sex thing, and we can play Mario Kart for a while.”**

Light just stared at the collar in horror. 

**“Want me to help you put it on?”** Ryuk asked, reaching for the teen’s neck with the clear intention of clasping that humiliating strip of leather on him. Light attempted to evade him but his back was already to the wall and he had nowhere left to run to. 

“Er… Ryuk. Wait. You know, about the whole sex thing…” 

Ryuk stared down at him in disbelief. **“You’re not offering _just because_ you don’t want to wear the collar are you?”**

“Of course not,” Light said quickly and with a perfectly straight face. 

**“Because then I might have to make you wear it anyway for lying to me.”**

_“You bastard!”_

**“Shinigami. Remember?”** Ryuk reminded him with a cackling laugh. **“Why are you so opposed to wearing your collar anyway?”**

The teen remained silent and with a quiet grunt sullenly turned his head away. 

**“Is it the declaration of ownership? Because I _do_ own you—you know that Light. That is a statement of _fact._ ”**

Light shot him a surprised and somewhat fearful look that was quickly masked behind a blank expression. 

**“I thought you understood that, Light”** Ryuk began gently, **“As long as you remain in possession of the note _I possess you._ Your mine and I own your death. Whether I have sex with you or not you are still my human.”**

Light glanced up at Ryuk, clearly confused by the sudden _fondness_ in his Shinigami’s voice.

“I just… I can’t Ryuk. It’s a, uh… pretty collar,” Light assented diplomatically “But my pride as a man won’t allow it!”

 **“I admit, it is meant to be a little bit humiliating—it is, after all, a punishment and I can’t let you off completely, you know, but you might at least consider it—I do take care of what is mine.”**

The teen looked at the monster with incredulity. “Like how you just carelessly dropped your own Death Note in the human world?” 

**“Whoever said that was my Death Note?”** Ryuk cackled evilly.

“You _stole_ it?!” The mass murderer demanded, reverting to his usual sanctimonious manner. 

**“I _borrowed_ it,”** Ryuk insisted. 

“You stole it,” Light whispered as the implications began to sink in. What if the original owner came to collect it? He’d lose his notebook, his vision for the world, and possibly even his life! _“Dammit, Ryuk!”_

Even if all that happened if the notebook was taken from him was that he lost his memories… why would he ever want to go back to the way things were before? Tedious, purposeless, _alone..._

 _If I lose the notebook I’ll lose Ryuk!_

Why out of everything was it _that_ thought that caused him to feel like he had ice water in his veins? 

**_“Borrowed,”_** Ryuk maintained, **“from a real lazy ass of a Shinigami whose naps typically lasts somewhere between one hundred and three hundred years. But you don’t need to worry about that, Light—even if he does wake up it’s not really your problem. Wherever it originally came from, by Shinigami law that notebook is now yours. He cannot take it back unless you give it to him and he is powerless without it.”**

“I…” the killer sagged in relief “Thanks, Ryuk,” Light said in a near whisper as he turned the collar around in his hands. 

The Shinigami gave the teen a worried glance when Light unconsciously dropped his guard around his “friend” so that the inner conflict was written all over his face. Light hadn’t even considered just how much Ryuk meant to him until he had considered living a life without him. Light tried to imagine life without the Shinigami constantly trailing behind him, making snarky comments over his shoulder. Well at first it would probably be blissfully silent but Light found he rather liked the feeling the Shinigami’s presence behind him, like a physical extension of his power. To never again feel the safety of Ryuk’s presence, to once again be burdened, _alone,_ with the weight of the world on his shoulders… 

_No, it’s unthinkable!_

Light glanced up again at the awkward rustling of Ryuk’s feathers and abruptly came to a decision regarding Ryuk's proposals. 

_I suppose I can do a couple things that are… uncomfortable if it means keeping Ryuk happy. Yes, that would probably be for the best..._

“It’s a nice gift,” Light granted as he turned the collar over again in his hand, _especially given it was meant to be a punishment._ “I think… yes. I _want_ to wear it for you. But wearing it would lead to too many awkward questions….” 

**“Oh! But Light—”**

“So what if I got a tattoo on my thigh or something instead? Would that be sufficient?” 

Light paused when the Shinigami made a startled sound and once again took to gaping at him. 

**_“Light-o…”_ **

Light sweated nervously as Ryuk just sated at him. 

**“Light… Just… _wow…_ I’m sorry you misunderstood me. You don’t have to wear the collar _openly._ You can conceal it under a scarf or a turtleneck or wrap it around your wrist and wear it under your sleeve as a bracelet. Though I must say I appreciate that you’d consider marking yourself as mine for all the world to see.” **

The teen shot the Shinigami a murderous glare but otherwise stayed silent as Ryuk snickered to himself. 

**“Would you have _really_ gotten a tattoo?” **

Light flushed again. “It would have been easier to hide,” he snapped defensively. 

**“But much more permanent…”**

“…I wouldn’t mind,” Light murmured, as he willed the floor to swallow him up again. 

**“..You’d have it for the rest of your life!”**

“Just like you?” Light asked hopefully. 

**_“Light-o.”_ **

“I have always enjoyed the companionship you have to offer me, Ryuk… and I recognize I was out of line to take your apple earlier so I’ll wear your collar. And… and as to the other thing… if you really want to… I think… I’d be willing to give it a try.” 

**_“Really?”_ **

“I’ll admit, it all seems a bit… _daunting_ but I think I might like to try it with you. Provided you can keep me interested…” Light wheedled as he glanced up at Ryuk’s grinning face and was starkly reminded that his Shinigami wasn’t exactly aesthetically pleasing to gaze upon. Light suppressed a shudder. 

While Ryuk’s looks didn’t matter when it came to the strange, strong feelings Light discovered he held for his unconventional roommate he still found it a bit peculiar to contemplate, especially with the added weirdness of sex… 

“Maybe you should get me drunk first.” 

**“I’m not fucking you while you’re drunk, Light,"** Ryuk retorted, almost rolling his eyes. Ryuk figured it was not any easier for the teen given that they were different species. The Shinigami knew he wasn’t considered real pretty by human standards and Light had often cracked jokes about his ugliness but that didn’t bother Ryuk too much—after all Ryuk knew that by Shinigami standards he was quite handsome if he did say so himself. **"If I take you there I want you there with me.”**

“I might not like it,” Light cautioned. “Please don’t take offense if I don’t. I’ve never really been interested in this sort of thing before but I, uh…. like you. I mean, I like it when you look at me like this and it wasn’t bad… when you touched me, so I think I’d like to give it a try.” 

**“Do you think it would it be easier or harder if I took you from behind?”** Ryuk mused aloud and Light shivered and swallowed heavily again. Ryuk’s rough voice and suggestive comments were having such a peculiar effect on him. 

“I… maybe to start with… do you think that might be for the best?” 

It was so odd to hear the normally arrogant teen sounding so lost and unsure. The Shinigami stared at the teenager, actually concerned. It was the most nervous he’d ever seen Light—it was even worse than when he first met the kid and he was half-convinced Ryuk was there to take his soul or some such nonsense. It seemed that Light really was telling the truth for once—Light was quite uncomfortable with the prospect of sex. That he was willing to try it anyway just to keep him happy gave the Shinigami odd, twisty feelings deep inside of him. 

_Shit._

Dammit, sex was one thing. Actually _falling for_ the manipulative killer was quite another. Well, no matter what his feelings on the matter Ryuk had no intentions of dying for the arrogant boy. Of course he’d like to keep him but death was inevitable for all humans but especially humans with a Death Note. Humans who owned a Death Note tended to come to messy ends. For what it was worth when the time came he’d make Light’s death quick and painless. 

Ryuk discreetly glanced above Light’s head. _What a shame. I’d love to keep him a little bit longer—if only the knowledge of the ancient rituals hadn’t been destroyed!_

**“How about we see how the collar looks on you? Want me to help you put it on?”**

Light again glanced at the strip of leather warily. He said he’d wear it but he still found the whole idea a bit intimidating. 

**“Just try it? You don’t have to keep it on if you don’t like it.”**

Light shot the Shinigami a glare. “I suppose you’d find something else to punish me with?” 

**“Yep!”** Ryuk declared all-too cheerily and Light shuddered as he wondered what the Shinigami’s twisted imagination might come up with next. 

_Best get this over with._ “Alright,” Light sighed, baring his neck slightly and tried not to flinch as Ryuk settled behind him. The teen shivered slightly when their hands met when Ryuk took the collar from him. Another odd thrill shot through him when Ryuk’s talons gently brushed against him as he fastened the collar around his neck. Light was surprised to find he actually liked the feel of the smooth leather against his skin. The teen studied how it looked in his closet mirror. It complimented his complexion well, standing out bold and beautiful. It actually looked and felt… kind of _nice._ If not for the insulting words stitched in the side he could almost call it pleasant. 

**“Nice,”** Ryuk rumbled appreciatively and Light’s face burned when he once again caught himself nodding in agreement. The teen’s stomach did peculiar flips as he met his Shinigami’s penetrating stare and couldn’t help but feel inordinately pleased that he once again had Ryuk’s full attention. 

“Er… What’s this loop here for?” Light asked curiously, slightly pulling on the metal ring that was set just below his throat in a poorly thought out attempt to ignore the weirdness of the situation.

Ryuk shot him an absolutely evil, exaggerated grin. **“For attaching a leash.”**

The teen felt a flash of anger when it suddenly clicked “Am I just a… a _pet_ to you?!” 

**“Well naturally, Light. I thought we already established that. I _own_ you. You’re my human.” **

No, that wasn’t right. _Ryuk_ was the pet. Ryuk was the one who followed him home and slept in his bed and did tricks for apples. Ryuk was the one who wanted Light to constantly entertain him, and would long outlive him, (and would _put him down_ at the end….) 

“ _Shit._ I _am_ the pet!” Light groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

**“You’re an adorable pet, Light-o,”** Ryuk assured while once again gently threading his claws through the boy’s hair. **“And very entertaining. I think you’re my favorite.”**

*** 

“Ryuk?” 

**“Yeah?”**

“You're going to want to ’search me for apples’ more than once, aren’t you?” 

**_Perceptive._ “Well…” **

“Am I right?” 

**“If you’re up for it.”**

“Alright… okay, Ryuk. Just promise me one thing.” 

**“What?”**

“Marry me.” 

The Shinigami suffered from a coughing fit despite not needing to breath. ** _“WHAT?!”_**

“I promised my parents I wouldn’t have sex until marriage. I’ll bend the rules for you here because you’re my best friend and all but only if you promise to marry me afterwards.” 

**_“Wha—”_** Ryuk stared at him in shock. **_“Why?”_ **

Light shot the Shinigami an annoyed look. “It’s the proper thing to do! I know it’s not normally done between males… or between different species but it's still be the correct thing to do, right? I know many people don’t, that it’s not the norm these days but dad, I mean… _I,_ as God of the New World, should hold myself to a higher standard. And why not? It’s logical. I’m already going to be spending the rest of my life with you, I enjoy your companionship, I didn’t mind so much when you touched me, and you clearly want sex. I like playing with you and provided you continue to be careful with me I honestly don’t think I’d mind doing it for you. So why not make it official? Furthermore if I am married to you I can’t be pressured into marrying someone else.” 

**“Oh? I didn’t realize that was a problem…”**

Light sighed again in annoyance. “The people around me love to play matchmaker, setting me up on blind ‘dates’ and some of those can get scary clingy—I don’t really like to talk about it.” 

**“Oh. Well Light, er, if you want to get technical we’re already married.”**

It was Light’s turn to stare at the Shinigami in shock. _“WHAT?!”_

**“We’re _bonded,_ Light. We’re bonded, I possess you, and I’ve claimed you as mine. We are married according to the most ancient traditions of both our peoples.” **

The teen blushed hotly “I-I’m married to you. All because I picked up the notebook? …You’re _stolen_ notebook?!” 

**“Yeah,”** Ryuk drawled, absently scratching at his feathers. 

“Oh.” 

Ryuk chuckled as he watched, fascinated, when his usually stoical human bondmate displayed a full range of emotions before finally settling on acceptance. 

“…Okay. But I still need to introduce you to my family and gain my father ‘s approval.” 

It was the Shinigami’s turn to gulp comically. Light wanted to _introduce him to his parents?!_ Just what had he gotten himself into? 

**_“Why?”_ **

“I have certain obligations as the first born son of my family… and like I told you it will stop my parents from setting me up on blind dates with girls from the neighborhood.” 

**“But I thought you didn’t want anyone to see me. If people knew about me wouldn’t that be trouble for you?”**

“That was before you decided to pursue a sexual relationship with me. Because what purpose could a Shinigami possibly have for hanging around me other than because I am Kira? No, no I can work with this,” the teen genius declared with a diabolic curve to his grin as he paced in front of his Shinigami, emphasizing his confidence in his burgeoning new plan with a demonstrative sweep of his arms. 

**“But… _how?_ ”**

Light smirked up at the Shinigami. “You know about human _fantasies_ , Ryuk. You know what one of the most common ones is? That some supernatural being descends to earth and is _captivated_ by some human’s beauty and grace…” At this Ryuk made an odd, uncharacteristic squawking noise. Light had only heard the Shinigami make such a sound twice before—once was when he had denied him apples and the other time was when he had caught Ryuk peeping on him. 

**“I-is that really such a common fantasy? You humans have such big egos!”** Ryuk declared, cackling nervously. 

“… and falls in love with a human…” 

The Shinigami suffered from another sudden bout of pseudo-choking. **“ _What?!_ Wait… wait just a minute, Light! I never said I was in love with you. I mean, I _like you and all_ but _love?!_ …I’m a _Shinigami,_ Light! I don’t do that.”**

“I understand, Ryuk. It’s just a cover. You don’t have to actually get all love struck on me... actually that would be kind of weird. It’s like I already told you—I enjoy your companionship… but if you want some sort of, er… sexual relationship I can work with that too. I mean, I’ll admit, I’m quite fond of you, Ryuk. I think I like you as much as it possible for me to like someone. But what I feel… I don’t think its love. Besides, from what I’ve seen love makes people stupid—it’s how idiots get caught. We don’t need something like that in our lives. So… I don’t love you.” 

**“I don’t love you too.”**

“Well Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page there,” Light said agreeably even as he sagged slightly in unconscious disappointment. 

Light yelped when Ryuk suddenly wrapping his overly long arms around him, hugging him close. 

**“I don’t love you but I do like you, kid. I like you a lot… So where does that leave us?”**

“Best friends with benefits… that are _married,_ ” Light mused aloud as he unconsciously relaxed in his Shinigami’s hold. 

**“I can work with that.”** Ryuk rumbled quietly. **“Are you really okay with this, Light? You do understand I don’t love you. I like you, but I can never love you.”**

“Yes, Ryuk. Believe it or not I _do_ understand. I feel the same way. I mean, I like hanging out with you and I just… it makes me happy to know you’re always there and that I’m going to spend the rest of my life with you. But I don’t think I could ever love anyone. That’s just… not the way I’m wired. I don’t know. Maybe there’s something wrong with me but I just don’t feel that way about anyone.” 

**“I think you _do_ have something wrong with you, Light…”** Ryuk agreed, cackling softly against the boy’s hair. 

“Gee, thanks Ryuk.”

 **“…But that’s not one of them. I’ve been around for a long time, Light. I’ve seen many types of humans. Some humans just don’t like sex. Sometimes they change their minds, sometimes they just haven’t found what excites them yet, sometimes they can only do it with certain people or under very specific conditions, and sometimes they never like it at all and there’s nothing wrong with that. I admit, I would very much like to have sex with you but if you’re not comfortable with that I’m not going to force you. I mean, we can still be pals, right?”**

“Of course. But Ryuk, I think… I…” Light swallowed a bit nervously and tried again. “I think I’d like to try it with you. At least once. Just to see what all the fuss is about, you know? That is, if you don’t mind if I view this as an experiment?” 

**“Not at all. Whatever floats your boat, kid.”**

“I’m surprised you didn’t say ‘bobbing for apples.’” 

Ryuk grinned down at him. **“That too!”**

“So what do you think of a spring wedding?” 

**“But _Light,_ we’re already married!”** The Shinigami groaned. 

The teen shot him an annoyed look. “We still have to stand on ceremony. At least if you want my parents’ approval. It’s important to make it official… Just know that I’m not going to be wearing a dress.” Ryuk sighed, he didn’t really care about the opinions of the Yagami parents but it was clear that Light did and wasn’t about to let it go. 

“Please Ryuk? It would really mean a lot to me. You are _literally_ the only one for me.” 

**“I think I’ve heard that before.”** Ryuk muttered darkly and Light seemed to belatedly realize the problem—that he had fed that same line to a few of his, well… _obstacles_ who had all ended up dead.

“I _mean_ it this time!”

The killer fidgeted nervously while Ryuk appeared to think about it for a moment, rubbing his pale, pointed chin with his claws. 

“I’ll make sure there will be apple cutting at the wedding,” Light wheedled and his Shinigami immediately perked up. 

**“Well, why didn’t you say so? But I should warn you Light that if you really want to make it official I’m going to have to introduce you to the King as well.”**

“The King? Of the Shinigami?” 

**“Actually his true title is the King of the Dead.”**

“But... why?” 

**“Well, you want to introduce me to your parents…”**

“Wait… Ryuk, are you saying you’re a… prince?! You never told me you were royalty!” Light said accusingly. 

Ryuk snorted. **“All Shinigami are creations of the King. So I’d hardly consider myself royalty. I am a God though. I think that’s a bit more impressive than being a prince.”**

“Right, I’d forgotten about that,” the megalomaniacal teen mumbled and Ryuk rolled his eyes. 

**“Of course such a relationship with a human is considered more than a little… unconventional.”**

Light’s eyes narrowed in comprehension. “Just how bad are we talking?”

 **“Bad enough that the King felt the need to write a fake rule that discourages this sort of thing in the latest edition of the Shinigami Rulebook.”**

“Oh… Bad then.” 

**“Bad, but not hopeless. That rule was just put in place because some stupid asshole wasn’t careful and knocked up some human girl so a human was born with our gifts."**

“Your gifts?”

**“I suppose it’s safe to tell you since he’s dead. By gifts I mostly mean the Shinigami eyes.”**

_“Are you fucking kidding me?!”_ Light seethed. Here he had contemplated the possibility of giving up half his life for the Eyes and some _asshole_ had them handed to him on a silver platter…

**“I’m hoping that together we can convince the King to lift the ban or at least make an exception in our case seeing as you are a male and there is no danger of me knocking you up.”**

“I should certainly hope not,” Light laughed lightly and attempted to suppress the horrified shudder as it traveled up his spine.

“Hey Ryuk, about that asshol—that _individual_ born with the eyes… I suppose the Shinigami were upset and killed him? Because he didn’t pay for them?” 

**“Actually… it was you.”**

For a moment Light blinked in confusion. 

_Oh yeah... Kira._ Sometimes he forgot that his victims were anything other than trash that needed to be purged from this world. 

**“He grew up to be a multiple murderer, I think he was the one that bludgeoned a child to death for fun…”**

“I’m afraid you’re going to have to be more specific, Ryuk,” the killer said with a tired sigh, he must have researched hundreds of cases just like that one… 

**“Uh-uh. You know I’m not supposed to name names, Light-o.”**

“Even after he’s dead?” 

**“Sorry, Light.”**

“You’re right—I suppose it doesn’t matter now seeing as he’s dead. Anyway, I don’t need the eyes so badly that I’d willingly associate with a _murderer,_ ” Light reasoned, blithely unaware of the inherent irony. 

**“You know... that that might actually be a point in our favor—that you took care of that problem for them.”**

“Well then… that’s good. But then... why couldn’t they take care of the problem themselves?” 

**“I’m guessing because he was technically half-Shinigami. I know Shinigami can’t kill Shinigami—I’ve _tried._ But humans can kill humans and he was human enough when _you_ wrote his name apparently."**

“Shinigami can’t kill Shinigami. Does that mean we’re safe? I mean, they can’t, you know… what happens if we fail?” 

**“I’ll be punished and they’ll wipe your memories and send you back to the human world. Probably.”**

“That’s all?” Light asked in surprise. Sure such a punishment would be bad enough but…“They wouldn’t kill me?” 

**“If you were paying attention that’s my job—I told you at the beginning I will be writing your name in my notebook when it’s your time to die. Because of our agreement only I have claim to your name. Even if they wanted to they can’t kill you or even hurt you.”**

“Oh.” 

**“You almost sound disappointed.”** Ryuk observed. 

“Well, I kind of figured going to the Land of the Dead would be more, well… _daunting.”_

Ryuk crackled his feathers in annoyance. **“Oh, it’s plenty daunting because here I’m hoping you use your magical human powers of persuasion to convince them to be okay with it.”**

_“Magical human powers…”_ Light just shook his head. "I’ll give it my best shot.” 

**“That’s all I ask.”**

“So when are we leaving?” 

**“I figured I could take you up there after we talk to your father…”**

“ _Oh my god,_ what am I going to wear?” 

**“Huh?”**

“Tell me, Ryuk. What do you wear when you go to meet the God-King of the Dead?” Light demanded, manically, and began desperately digging through his closet. After much rummaging, he set aside his best formal, charcoal-colored suit and black silk tie he had once worn to a party in which he met his father’s work friends. That somehow seemed inadequate. 

Ryuk shook his head at his human’s antics. **“It hardly matters what you wear, Light. Actually, you’d probably make the best impression if you went naked.”**

Light choked. "Please tell me you're joking?!" 

**"About this? No."**

“But wouldn’t that be disrespectful?” the teen asked in a small, strangled voice. 

**“Nah. Many Shinigami don’t wear clothes at all. And if you went naked before our King it shows we are being forthright about everything and that way it’s easier for the King and his court to… inspect the goods, so to speak.”**

Light shot the Shinigami a malevolent red tinged glare which Ryuk cheerfully ignored. 

**“They will no doubt want to make sure you are, in fact, male… and to _really_ persuade them we might have to let them have a bit of fun too.”** Ryuk admitted. The Shinigami was then alarmed by the sudden sound of a terrified whine that came piercing through the bedroom. It was kind of hard for Ryuk to believe that such a sound could ever come from the stoical teenager before him but there was no one else in the room. 

**“Just a thought,”** Ryuk acquiesced in an attempt to calm what he took to be Light’s terror—though Ryuk admitted it was difficult to ascertain the changes in the boy’s moods given that he had once again hidden his face behind a curtain of brown bangs. **“Though personally I’d rather it not come to that because I’d rather not share you... And I think the suit would work fine too.”**

Light massaged his temples against the oncoming headache. “I’ll do it if I have to, Ryuk. I don’t want my memories erased and… _I don’t want to lose you._ But just… _sex,_ ” the teen gave another shiver of disgust. “I guess I’d better practice,” Light muttered and glanced up to look at Ryuk, only to find the taller monster contorting his spine so that his face was almost at his own eye level and it belatedly occurred to Light that Ryuk was exactly one head taller than he was. The killer groaned internally, immediately regretting the decision to have Ryuk meet his family because he knew Sayu would never let him hear the end of it. He could imagine it now, how Sayu would take to introducing him to her tittering friends: _"Hey everyone, this is my gay brother. He's the uke, can't you tell? I always knew of course, but isn't he cute? But you know, you'd look even cuter with cat makeup and pink ribbons in your hair!"_

Light shuddered as if someone had just tread over his grave. 

“Ryuk, what are you doing?” Light demanded as Ryuk began leaning into his space again, staring at him intently with those strange golden eyes. 

**“I was just thinking that maybe I should check that dirty mouth of yours for apples again. I might have missed some the first time.”**

Light just rolled his eyes given that Ryuk’s true motive being so transparent it didn’t even bare commenting on. 

“That looks uncomfortable,” Light pointed out upon seeing how Ryuk’s body was once again all twisted around. 

**“It’s alright. Shinigami are very flexible.”**

Light found himself blushing again though he wasn’t sure why. 

**“Thanks for noticing, though. I don’t mind… but if you prefer you could always sit in my lap and kiss me,”** Ryuk suggested with all the subtlety of a freight train. 

“Oh, okay then,” Light said, a smirk tugging at his lips as he did just that. Light once again relaxed at the feeling of careful talons threading through his hair. 

Light once again wondered at Ryuk’s skill—surely kissing a Shinigami should not be so _soft and sweet!_ The teen groaned softly as Ryuk gently lapped at the inside of his mouth, the Shinigami's possessive talons holding him ever closer. 

“So, uh… wow," Light gasped as the monster released him again. 

Ryuk chuckled. 

"Ryuk?" 

**"Hmmm?"** Ryuk hummed contentedly as he regarded the boy's smouldering stare. 

"Do you uh... want to make apple custard?” Light panted, after Ryuk had once again left him breathless. 

The Shinigami widened his grin. **“If you’d like.”**

***

 **Omake**

The taskforce held in a collective sigh as they sat around L’s coffee table while the strange British consulting detective lorded over them like he thought HQ was his own personal Camelot and while this newest coffee table that L was defacing with permanent marker wasn’t quite a round table it did in a pinch and while L did not wield Excalibur he did have that red licorice vine he was sucking on and sometimes waved around while he talked, gesticulating wildly, and leaving the taskforce cringing and ducking for cover seeing as they were not too keen on being blessed by the holy droplets of the “Great Detective L’s” spit. L really didn’t understand what their problem was—he was sure Beyond Birthday would have appreciated it. 

“So Mogi-san, anything to report?” 

The big man stood up and cleared his throat as he went to give his report. 

Most of the taskforce had always wondered why the biggest and most noticeable officer was given the task of tailing their Kira suspect after Raye Penber came down with the flu. Perhaps because he was also the quietest and unlike say… _Matsuda_ knew how to keep his damned mouth shut. 

As far as Mogi could tell Light Yagami was just a brilliant but typical teenager. Really nothing about the boy screamed "ruthless mass murderer" and Penber seemed to agree if his reports were any indication. Yet the Great Detective L still claimed he had reason to suspect him. So Mogi continued to faithfully watch Chief Yagami's son with grim suspicion even if he really didn't believe that this lead would pan out. The strong, silent officer had watched him all throughout these halcyon days even when the temperature dropped to "I'm not getting paid enough for this shit" levels. The officer had observed that Light had taken to wearing a heavy whitish beige winter coat, understandable in this weather—the coat part at least but not the beige. Mogi noticed that Light wore a lot of beige and a lot of khakis—even on his off days when he didn’t have to wear his school uniform. Didn’t anyone ever tell this kid that variety was the spice of life? Mogi had also observed that the teen looked like he constantly regretted not bringing a scarf but never remembered to bring one the next time he went out—not exactly behavior one would expect of a criminal mastermind who had everything planned. Of course when Mogi made that observation L seemed to think that was what Light _wanted_ them to think. The rest of the taskforce thought L was just paranoid. That was about the point in which L became offended and told the taskforce they couldn’t have any more of his ice cream. In the meantime Mogi stoically ignored the bizarre consulting detective’s antics and went on to give what would become the highlight of his report. 

“Yesterday I observed the suspect going into a tattoo parlor…” Mogi began. 

Souichiro nearly flipped the coffee table. “My serious son? In a tattoo parlor?!” 

“A tattoo? Of what?” asked Matsuda. 

“I don’t know. I didn’t follow him in. It would’ve blown my cover,” Mogi pointed out reasonably. 

L chewed on the tip of his thumb, red vine all but forgotten. 

*** 

“These needles are clean, right?” He once asked the strange woman with the short pink hair, dangling nose ring, and vibrantly blue, coiling dragon that artfully ascended the skin of her shoulders. 

Takara the tattoo artist had been surprised when the preppy schoolboy had stepped into her shop. And even more surprised when it became clear he wanted to actually go through with it. And while of course she appreciated the business of valued customers this guy was beginning to get on her nerves. 

“Yes, they are just as clean as the last time you asked.” 

“Okay.” 

The young man hissed as she began threading the needle into his skin.  


***  


After wasting a ton of money plastering cameras everywhere that Light was sure to go and several hours of observation L finally found it as he observed Light in the high school locker room as he got changed for gym class. The tattoo was etched into the teen’s lower back where it would sit just below the waistband of most pants so that it was best observed when the boy was bending over. When he saw it L nearly choked on his fudge sundae. What could have possessed Light to get a tiny apple tattooed into his ass? 

*** 

“Any story behind this?” Takara asked in an attempt to distract her client from the pain. 

“Er, well. My lover likes apples.” 

“Uh huh. Should I recommend a good tattoo removal service?”  


“You don’t understand! We’re different. We’re forever!” the young man exclaimed emphatically. The tattoo artist looked unconvinced but that hardly mattered to Light. 

_How can this stranger ever hope to understand? Hell, how could **anyone** hope to understand? I barely understand it myself and I’m a genius. We ARE forever—or at least until we get bored and sick of each other which is close enough._

***  


L gaped at the screen which still held a lovely view of Light Yagami’s ass and where said ass had been forever marked in red ink. The peculiar detective clenched his fists at his sides. An _apple!_ It was as if the tattoo was mocking him.  


_L, did you know Shinigami love apples?_


End file.
